Magazine
Are there any whales that live in fresh water?
There are nearly 70 species of toothed whales and 13 species of baleen whales. Baleen whales use a highly specialized…
Gaspésie Invaded by “Jubartes” or “Megaptera”
No doubt about it, everyone who has been plying the offshore waters of the Gaspé region lately has one word…
Blue Whale Newcomers and Familiar Humpbacks
The Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS) team, based in Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan, is geared up for its 40th season on the water!…
Irisept, a White Tail and Other Humpback Whale Stories
"For a number of people, the weather these past few days has been the motivating factor to get out and…
Silvery Capelin Sought by Hungry Giants
Prével (Gaspésie), Sept-Îles, Portneuf-sur-Mer (Côte-Nord): "Waves of silver" say some local residents when talking about a particular time of the…
“Suspect” Identified
Is it possible to identify an all-white beluga? Certainly, especially when it shows a major spinal deformity like Pascolio! This…
Recognizing Whales by their Backs
May 6: no sooner had the sun risen when one observer spotted two belugas in the morning light off La…
A New Season Begins
"Spring's arrived!" writes in our collaborator from the town of Franquelin, who has finally seen whales in front of her…
White Dots at Sea and Exquisite Darts in the Skies
From the distant white dots identified every morning at the mouth of the Saguenay to the close-up views of animals…
Seals by the hundreds, seabird numbers on the rise and belugas between island and mountains
Our collaborator from Pointe-des-Monts confirms: "no whales in sight, but there were "sea wolves" by the ton!" speaking of his…
Silhouettes of All Colours
April 11: Young grays and white adults are scattered around the mouth of the Saguenay Fjord. "At last," sighs one…
It’s snowing on the whales!
The most recent snowfalls this past week give the impression that winter will never end and that spring is reluctant…
First Spring Visitors
Sunny skies and rising temperatures are bringing joy and marking the return of the whales! On March 23, in the…
A New Fur Coat Every Year
This week's observations revolve around seals! In Franquelin and Tadoussac, just one harp seal and one gray seal are seen,…
Are seals “chatterboxes”?
Before tackling this question, here are a few tidbits regarding our St. Lawrence whales. Between 30 and 50 belugas were…
Amphibious Mammals along the North Shore
The lives of seals are split between the sea and the land. Excellent swimmers, they hunt their prey under water…
Noteworthy Stories Awaiting Next Year’s Narratives
The year 2017 is winding down. What were the major headlines from this year's News from Afield? [caption id="attachment_30002" align="alignright"…
Rediscover a summer holiday spot in a frozen but still inhabited setting
After long hours spent this past summer scanning the open sea for whales and pointing them out to visitors, an…
Tips and Tricks for Recognizing Species
"On December 3, I spotted two whales off Sainte-Thérèse-de-Gaspé," writes in one observer, delighted to be seeing whales in December.…
Patience, they’re still around
The week goes by and with each passing day we receive more sightings from our network of collaborators throughout Quebec.…
Were whales affected by those squalls that pummelled the North Shore?
On November 17, gusts of up to 90 km/h whipped across the shores of the Côte-Nord region. The raging, whitecap-speckled St.…
Migrants Prolonging their Season
At first glance, the St. Lawrence in November appears to be devoid of life. Apart from merchant ships and ferries,…
When Birds Take Advantage of Whales to Feed
An impressive scar forms zebra-like stripes on the right flank of one of the three fin whales seen off Tadoussac…
Minke Whales, from the Arctic to the St. Lawrence to the Tropic of Cancer
This past week, it has been mostly minke whales that have been observed. About fifteen of them have been at…
Little Hitchhikers on Big Travellers and a Horde of Dolphins
Large golden-brown spots can be seen when a fin whale appears – for example, one of the eight individuals observed…
The Porpoise that Thought It Was a Beluga
On October 13, in the heart of the Marine Park, a harbour porpoise surprises observers with its whitish colour recalling…
Whale Season Draws to a Close
Parks Canada's land-based observation sites adjacent to the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park are closing down for the season; meanwhile, the…
Etched in Our Memories
"Extraordinary," exclaims a Franquelin-based collaborator while watching in awe as a minke whale leaps into the air. It repeats the…
Big Loafers and Sea Torpedoes
Almost nonchalantly, a basking shark glides by the boat of a resident of Sainte-Thérèse-de-Gaspé. Its high dorsal fin betrays the…
Up Close or From Afar
Early in the morning of September 17, under an overcast sky and in glassy seas, two observers from Sainte-Anne-des-Monts are…
Movement in the St. Lawrence
This seems to be the best way to describe the whale season to date. [caption id="attachment_27257" align="alignright" width="250"] Tingley and…
In Groups or Alone?
"Harbour porpoises are everywhere, every day," reports a collaborator from Franquelin. These cetaceans, which measure 1 to 2 m long, are…
Observing a Heavyweight Breastfeeding and Other Surprises
A whale-watching boat in the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park encounters the fin whale Caïman and her young on August 16.…
Detective for a day
Whales reveal just a tiny fraction of their bodies before quickly disappearing again, leaving observers puzzled as to who they…
A Week of Questions and Surprises!
On August 9, the Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS) team sets out on the water, taking advantage of a lull.…
Familiar Whales, Satisfied Observers
"This summer has been a busy one in Sept-Îles!" exclaims a resident observer from Gallix, near Sept-Îles. Since 1989, he…
Intriguing Observations
"Is it possible to see a killer whale in Saint-Siméon in the Charlevoix region?", asks a camper who notices a…
Searching for Whales to Research
Photo-identifying the minke whales of the Estuary is one of the objectives of the team at Mériscope, which is based…
Diversity of Species and Behaviours to Discover
"They come here to eat."... a phrase often repeated by captains and naturalists from the get-go when speaking to the…
A Breath of Fresh Air in Gaspésie
Good news: five newborn humpback whales have been sighted so far off the Gaspé Peninsula: "a figure that is already…
St. Lawrence week: fin whale
By Marie-Sophie Giroux Rapid and Agile Greyhound of the Sea During the St. Lawrence Week, Whales Online features every day…
Minke Whales and Winter Seals in the Middle of Summer… followed by News from Afield Map!
"Good thing we at least have them!" joke several captains and naturalists from the Tadoussac – Les Escoumins region, referring…
Individual Identification Possible, but Far from Easy
At the foot of the mountains rising above the Fjord, small groups of harbour seals lie on the rocks. They…
Summer Frenzy in the Gulf
From a vantage point on Bonaventure Island off the Gaspé Peninsula, a park warden spots two humpback whales on June…
Spouts, prey and migrations: a few stories
Off L'Anse-Saint-Georges in the Gaspé, a tour operator observes two spouts on May 24. The mushroom shape leads him to…
Strange-looking Dolphins
Dark skin, long pectoral fins, a round head resembling that of a beluga, and a short beak: the pilot whale…
Large Rorquals and Ducks by the Thousands
Thousands of long-tailed ducks line the waters of the Estuary. Skilled divers, they plunge to depths of up to sixty…
Tadoussac: The Whales are Back!
For a number of whale cruise operators in the Tadoussac region, the offshore season debuted the last weekend of April.…
Belugas and Gannets Downriver
A herd of belugas are swimming in tight formation off Pointe-aux-Outardes; they number about 40. Behind them, flocks of birds…
“My first whales of the season!”
These same words were on the lips of a number of observers! Here they are, back in the St. Lawrence…
Three Baritone Rorquals
One, two… three spouts appear and remain suspended on the horizon for a few seconds. They're about four kilometres offshore.…
Fresh crab at the counters: a telltale sign
The snow crab season is underway, which is synonymous with the start of the "crab dinner" season. For some, this is…
A Breath of Spring
March 20 marked the spring equinox, when day and night are of equal duration, and will end with the summer…
Observation Round-up, from the Estuary to the Gulf
Winter is a relatively calm period for marine mammal enthusiasts. Nevertheless, many observers stare out to sea, constantly on the…
Whitecaps and Blue Mountain at the Water Surface
February 28: from his "lookout" – i.e. the porch of his house – a member of the Marine Mammal Interpretation…
Visiting Blue Whale in Godbout
On February 23, off the village of Godbout, a large rorqual approaches the coast. Its long back glides across the…
Giant of Giants Honoured at Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum
On March 11, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto will launch its new exhibition dedicated to the largest animal the…
Copious Meal for Two Blue Whales
Their gaping mouth expands like an accordion thanks to the skin folds of the throat and belly, while their baleen…
A Mysterious Tail
On February 4, a resident in the Godbout region on the North Shore captures on film the tail of a…
Whale Week 2017: February 13-17
Organized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the event aims to raise public awareness about whales and to…
Are humpback whales saving other species being hunted by killer whales?
Yes. For example, in 2012 in Monterey Bay, California, a BBC team filmed the intervention of two humpbacks to protect…
“Surfing” amidst the Pack Ice
Surprisingly, there are a handful of enthusiasts who continue to practise this sport even in the middle of winter in…
Driving over 500 km to See Belugas
"Beluga-watching in winter!" exclaims a Whales Online subscriber after reading the Field Notes Still Plenty of Belugas on the Upper…
Fernand-Seguin Scholarship 2017: the Next Generation of Science Journalism
Get out your pens, cameras and computers! The Fernand-Seguin 2017 Scholarship is underway! Since 1981, this competition has represented an…
Return of Whales to Côte-Nord
Measuring 15 to 20 metres long and weighing in at 35 to 100 tonnes, large rorquals swim beneath the water…
Which cetacean is most at risk of extinction?
According to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it would be the vaquita. This…
Drawing Contest Mon fleuve et moi, 2016-2017 Edition
Through their drawings, Quebec students aged 6 through 20 are invited to depict their dream activity related to the St.…
Tips for Surviving the Cold in Quebec
January 18: hundreds of Barrow's goldeneye take wing amidst the ice floes off Cap de Bon-Desir. They're not alone. The…
Why leap out of the water when one weighs over 30 tonnes?
Known as breaches in scientific jargon, these leaps out of the water that whales perform serve notably to communicate with…
Daniel Pauly, Radio-Canada’s 2016 Scientist of the Year, will be featured on the program Les années lumière
His involvement "for having revealed the true scale of overfishing in the planet's oceans" has led him to become the…
Four-legged Underwater Hunters
Harp seals by the hundreds on the ice at Sainte-Flavie and Pointe-au-Père, groups of harp seals off Les Escoumins, gray…
How did baleen appear?
A recently discovered whale fossil has proven to be an important piece of the puzzle with regard to whale evolution.…
If Belugas and Narwhals Cohabit the Arctic, is it Possible That These Whales Once Swam Side by Side in The Champlain Sea?
Being that they frequent the same territory, narwhals do occasionally come into contact with belugas in the Arctic, without necessarily…
Black Bubbling at the Water Surface
Actually, it's harp seals moving around energetically in the water. Solo, in pairs, by the handful or by the dozen,…
Observations at Sea and on Land, during the Day and at Night
It is always surprising to encounter whales that are believed to have left for the Atlantic as soon as autumn…
Are killer whales a threat to the marine mammal populations that they feed on?
Predation alone does not generally pose a threat to the sustainability of a population. It is often associated with other…
Animo Meets Up with St. Lawrence Belugas
On February 27, the team from Explora's Animo series takes you on board the Bleuvet to discover, together with the…
Accumulation of Heavy Metals in a Group of Stranded Long-finned Pilot Whales in Scotland
A study by researchers at the University of Aberdeen, in collaboration with the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, recently demonstrated…
North American Right Whale on Semaine verte Now Online
On February 13, Radio-Canada's Semaine verte presented a chronicle of the fragile North Atlantic right whale, victim of intensive hunting that…
Noisy Seals and Low-Profile Whales
"We could hear their bellowing from our porch," says a Franquelin-based collaborator of News from Afield, referring to the cries…
Preserving Quiet Habitats… So That They Stay That Way
A number of conservation projects aim to protect critical habitats for marine mammal populations with one of the objectives being…
Are the Great Whales Capable of Crossing the Entire Ocean?
With their imposing size, baleen whales live on an entirely different scale. Their habitat ranges between warm waters where they…
As the Crow Flies: Drones as a Promising Research Tool
Drones offer researchers new means of obtaining data on wild animal populations. They help enlarge the field of view of…
Call of the Baby Beluga, The nature of things (CBC), January 28, 2016
A young beluga is stranded on the shores of the St. Lawrence... and it's alive! A team of scientists decides…
Breaching: energy-intensive but beneficial for diving
Myoglobin carries and stores oxygen in the muscles of vertebrates. It is particularly abundant in marine mammals and is believed…
Harp Seals Attracting Attention
They appear in the form of black bubbles at the water surface. Adult harp seals give the impression of wearing…
Do Whales have Language?
Strictly speaking, a language implies syntax in which word order determines meaning. Studies conducted on dolphins in captivity have shown…
A Little Spy to Track a Large Cetacean
Update – January 20, 2016: Return to Northern Waters and Media Coverage of the Project! According to the most recent…
Braving the Cold
L'Anse-Saint-Jean, Saguenay Fjord, with the wind chill it feels like -28°C… This temperature won't prevent ice fishing enthusiasts from kicking…
Do blue whales have any predators?
Measuring some twenty metres long and weighing around 100 tonnes, what predator "dares" to attack the largest animal on the…
Boat Speed Noise Responsible for Disturbance of Killer Whales
The speed of boats travelling in the vicinity of killer whales is believed to be the greatest factor affecting ambient…
Entangled Right Whale: an Extra Weight to Tow
Over 75% of North Atlantic right whales show injuries or scars caused by fishing gear. A study conducted by the…
Can whales be observed in the Caribbean?
Whale watching in the Caribbean is an increasingly popular activity. These warm waters are well known for large gatherings of…
December 13-18, 2015: 21st Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals
This international gathering, organized by the Society for Marine Mammalogy, rallies researchers, students and professionals from around the globe to…
Sperm Whales Robbing Fishermen of Their Catch
Sablefish fishermen in the Gulf of Alaska face a major competitor to their operations: male sperm whales. The latter come…
Flashback…
..to late November. Our collaborator in Franquelin sees her first harp seal of the winter. In the following weeks, she…
Southern Right Whales Targeted by Gulls
The waters around Argentina's Valdes Peninsula are thebreeding and calving grounds for southern right whales (Eubalaena australis). These whales have…
Biography of Frédéric Back
Author Hélène Jasmin recently compiled this biography (in French) about the famous filmmaker who passed away in 2013 and illustrious…
BELUGAS ON THE MOVE VIDEO CLIP PRESENTING THE PROJECT: STUNNING FOOTAGE
At the dawn of the beluga seasonal migration, one question remains: where will they winter? This is the question that…
Belugas on the Move
Video Clip Presenting the Project: Stunning Footage
At the dawn of the beluga seasonal migration, one question remains: where will they winter? This is the question that…
A Rewarding Stroll
On the afternoon of November 18, a News from Afield collaborator and Gaspé Bay whale-watching employee in summers ends his…
Right Whale Festival, November 21, 2015
Held in Jacksonville, Florida, this festive rendez-vous celebrates the impending return of North Atlantic right whales to the coastal waters…
New Information on Extremely Rare Omura’s Whales
Omura's whale (Balaenoptera omurai), formerly considered to be a "pygmy form" of the Bryde's whale, was recognized as a full…
Building Energy Reserves
Fin whales in the Gaspé and Côte-Nord regions, minke whales and harbour porpoises off Charlevoix and the Côte-Nord, belugas at…
Fin Whales in Sight
One might think that at the end of October, the St. Lawrence Estuary is deserted... well think again! Autumn sea…
Ending the Season with a Bang
These are the last trips out to sea for tour operators of Gaspé Bay, and the whales are plentiful! On…
A Puff of Air that Betrays its Presence, but not its Species
A large column rises high into the air. "Fin whale or blue whale?" asks our Franquelin-based collaborator on the morning…
The David Suzuki Foundation presents the Elections Challenge: 100 days to protect the beluga
“Is the protection of the 900 belugas of the St. Lawrence one of your hopes for the future? What if…
Pregnancy Tests for Belugas
Update – September 30, 2015 The final day of the program was September 25. Weather conditions were favourable, which allowed…
Observation Season Still Going Strong in the Gaspé…
One would think it's still summer with all the sightings reported from our collaborators in the Gaspé. Between the villages…
The Fourth Season of the Large Rorqual Telemetric Monitoring Project in the Marine Park is Underway
September 23: What about their Prey?
DOSSIER UPDATED September 23: What do rorquals prey on? The fourth season of the large rorqual monitoring project ended in…
“More whales than visitors”…
...emphasizes a Percé-based captain, referring to this recent week of observations. Île Bonaventure is surrounded by numerous marine mammals: hundreds…
The Leap Manifesto
The authors of the The Leap Manifesto chose a whale to illustrate their hopes and concerns for a more just…
No Two Weeks or Observations are Alike…
A dynamic environment It is a well known fact that whales come to the St. Lawrence to feed. Forget the…
Focus on the Gulf
Starting with the Cloridorme region in the Gaspé where "almost 40 blue whales are present," according to Richard Sears, director…
Who are these gannets that are hunting among the whales?
These large seabirds, the largest in the North Atlantic with wingspans of up to two metres, owe their scientific name…
Observers Delighted…
To observe almost a hundred belugas in Les Escoumins; nearly a dozen blue whales in the Gaspé, including B105, which…
“Sea Wolves” of the St. Lawrence
In French, seals are sometimes referred to by the old term "loups marins", or sea wolves, which in some regions…
Sperm Whale on Display at Musée de la Mer, Magdalen Islands
Its 15 m long skeleton is the star of an exhibit entitled "Souffleur à grosse tête, qui es-tu?" (loosely translated, "Big-headed…
Pair of Blue Giants
Researcher Anik Boileau, director of the Centre d’Éducation et de Recherche de Sept-îles (CERSI), based in Sept-Îles, observed a pair…
Right Whales Seen from the Sky
During an aerial survey on August 7, a team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) spots over twenty…
Looking for whales with our ears
At Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan, some thirty fin whales are present, both "known" faces and newcomers. Are they easy to spot? More or…
Large Gatherings
Large herds of gray seals off Tadoussac are attracting increasing attention. Even if only their heads stick out above the…
A Whiskery Creature in La Baie
July 20, 2015: Long whiskers appear on the water surface; a bearded seal startles a photographer at the marina in…
Renewed Activity
"Might things be picking up in the region?" enquires one of the Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS) team members after…
Getting to Know the Herring of the St. Lawrence Upper Estuary, a Beluga Prey
This project, which began last year, focuses in particular on the spawning grounds of this small silver fish. Herring migrate…
North Atlantic Right Whale Observed near Île Rouge
On the afternoon of Friday, July 10, the GREMM team aboard the Bleuvet, while tracking belugas offshore, had a surprising…
Four Killer Whales in the Lower North Shore, One Possibly Identified
Photos taken between La Tabatière and Gros-Mécatina in the Basse-Côte-Nord region (in the Gulf of St. Lawrence near Newfoundland) confirm…
Familiar Faces in Gaspésie
A black "iris" shape on the right lobe and a white "seven" in the centre of the tail; cat eyes…
Survivor of the Estuary
The last time "Le Survivant" was seen was on November 23, 2014, off the coast of Cap de Bon-Désir in…
Of Whales, the Moon and Men
The "fishermen" positioned nearly 3500 saplings in four days, though they purposely neglected to "set the trap" by making sure…
How Long have Sperm Whales been Hunted?
Are sperm whales still hunted? No, not commercially. Nevertheless, a traditional hunt is still practised by residents of the Indonesian…
Belugas Return to the Estuary
"Almost in real time", emphasizes Robert Michaud as he calls the Whales On Line team on April 8. Indeed, barely…
How much sperm does a blue whale ejaculate?
Surprised by some of the extreme statistics in the physiology of the blue whale, an Internet user asked us this…
On the Calendar: MICS Organizes Blue Whale Fundraiser Event
The Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS) will organize the first edition of the Grand Blue fundraiser on March 16, 2015…
Are the Belugas of the North Threatened?
In an interview with Véronique Lesage and Thomas Doniol-Valcroze, researchers at the Maurice Lamontagne Institute (Fisheries and Oceans Canada), Whales…